Newcastle Making Good Progress On Transfers – Deal For Striker Reported Close

Written by Dr. Ed Harrison

8:05am Thursday, December 21st, 2017

Commented 37 times

There’s nothing to stop Rafa Benitez and Lee Charnley from making loan moves now that can be signed in January.

Newcastle will have the money to make several loan moves next month – that’s not an issue.

The question that’s not answered because of the stalled takeover is how much money will Rafa have so he can make some permanent signings next month.

The good news today is the Mail reported we have agreed on a loan deal for 21-year-old Kenedy from Chelsea and there’s also news that Newcastle are aggressively making a move for Leicester City striker Slimani.

That’s according to a report in the Leicester Mercury with Newcastle now big favorites to sign the striker on loan.

We were linked with Slimani in the summer, and the Algerian striker has not had much success at Leicester, but he would be an improvement on what we have at Newcastle.

Islam Slimani – loan deal reported close

He has class, and Rafa Benitez could bring out the best in the big striker.

With the loan deal, we get a striker who cost Leicester £25M from Sporting Lisbon 18 months ago so he would be an excellent addition to the Newcastle ranks.

Slimani has scored four goals in the League Cup this season and is the joint top scorer,

With Rafa wanting two strikers brought in during January there seems nothing holding Newcastle back in trying to tie up their second loan deal for January and get the 29-year-old signed on loan.

Announcing deals this month can only help raise the spirits of Newcastle fans after a terrible last two months of results – but things will hopefully get better soon.

Islam Slimani would be a second good addition to the Newcastle side and like Kenedy could be available in early January.

The deal would seem like a good one for both Leicester and Newcastle, and he would cost the Magpies a loan fee, and we would have to pick up his wages.

TBut three players will probably leave Newcastle on loan or permanently in January – Jack Colback, Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Chancel Mbemba.

Mo Diame could also leave the club with interest being shown in him from clubs in Turkey according to the Sun.

Diame is reported to be attracting interest from both Goztepe and Sivasspor, with a £2.5M fee on his head.

37 comments so far

Hopefully not, but it works both ways. They need to come here and show they are eager to play, listen, learn and perform.

If they come here for an easy ride they will be rightfully criticised. That’s my only worry with players like Kennedy, does he have the temperament? But he’s getting older and his career has not kicked off so he must be aware that it’s now or never for him.

Slimani I really hope we get, great in the air, experienced, scored goals in the Premier League. Has a good worth ethic and wants to leave to play. Would a great signing for us at this stage.

Spoof, We’ve apparently just signed a highly rated young lad, hopefully the first signing of many, it’s just so bloody depressing reading people pouring cold water on anything and everything. We’re in the shite, we need every bit of positive news.

Curious to know who we’re gonna get as a DM and 10. And hope Rafa has noticed how uncompetitive we are in that department. Slimani a massive improvement over Josiére. Can’t see Kennedy improving us that much.

Could be a good start – more please staring with a class goalkeeper who can 1 Distribute the ball with arm or foot instead of HOOOOOOOOOF 2 Commands the six yard box 3 Shouts and organises huis defenders

Your reading to much into it mate, I’m not pouring cold water over the deal, all I’m saying is that I believed experienced players would be better suited for our needs, expressing a view or an opinion does not mean that your dissing the deal, so I would appreciate it if you would accept that and not accuse me of moaning or pouring cold water over the deal, just that sound fair !

Terrific news. Hopefully a sign of good things. When I have watched Kennedy he actually looks like a quality player. And the fact he doesn’t get sent out on loan at Chelsea is a good sign as he is seen as capable of playing/covering for the 1st team at least.

I’d be happy with Kenedy. I think he might well be used more an a winger than full-back considering Dummett is returning.

I’m actually more concerned about right-back. The Ritchie plus Yedlin combo has been a real weakness down that side.

If we get Kenedy and Slimani, and perhaps that Sturaro in on loan, that would cover ST, LB/LW and DM.

Priorities then would be keeper, right-back, ideally a second additional striker, and a creative mid. For me, it would be in that order. The three loans mentioned above, plus a top keeper with experience, would convince me we can escape the drop. More than that and I’ll be delighted.

Tinman, I understand your lack of faith, we’ve all be here too many times under Ashley. I was certain he’d back Rafa in the summer and I was wrong then, I may well be now.

But it’s not just blind faith, or being carried away by the takeover talk. First of all, we’re almost certainly talking about mainly loans, hopefully topped up with one or two permanent signings. That doesn’t have to break the bank.

Second, we’re in deep trouble. Ashley has shown before that the only time he’ll spend money is in trying to avoid relegation.

And third, he won’t get the price he wants for the club if we go down. If he sacks Rafa, or Rafa walks, the bid collapses (if we’re to believe the Times reports).

Too many reasons for him to risk leaving us short in Jan. 3 or 4 signings, the right signings, will be enough to see us safe I think. Any more would be fantastic.

In all likelihood Fatty’s spend in Jan will be reimbursed as part of the deal. This has been reported by many parties and makes perfect logical sense for all involved. So the risk of him not spending makes no sense, even to a known gambler like Ashley.

I agree with spoof there. Signed unproven quality and proven dross in the summer and it hasn’t really worked out. But if nothing else is available within our means then we have to gamble. If Manquillo and Josiére continue starting as they have for the whole season we get relagated. So why not get Kennedy and someone else unproven to give it a bash. Slimani I’d regard as a good punt even though he’s failed for the most part at Leicester.

If these rumours are true it’s a good sign. Getting loan deals in before the window opens is great business and is probably one of the ‘mistakes’ the club made in the summer that Rafa mentioned. If so, it’s nice to see the board are listening to him. Now to get rid of two first team players as we still need to abide by the 25 player squad rules. I think these will both be good signings, especially Slimani if it comes off. Just under a goal every 2.5 games is a good return for a striker.

scenario,get rid of the dead wood,bring in good players on loan with an option to buy,sell it to them that when we stay up this stavely bird is gonna invest mega bucks get us challenging for champs league & the odd cup along the way & for the unseeble.If we stay up were going places aren’t we? Its not beyond the realms of impossibility so stay positive peeps….Come On The Toon!!!

League Placement

health update

I was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer in February 2017 and completed four months of chemotherapy in late July and will continue to have hormone treatment.

The cancer spread in the bones but it has been stabilized and has not spread further.

I am still recovering from some of the side effects of the chemo treatment - it's mainly severe fatigue and exhaustion.

Stage 4 cancer is not curable so I will continue to have cat scans and bone scans every four months to ensure the cancer is not spreading.

It is as it is - these things happen - and I will do my very best under the circumstances.

Ed Harrison

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